§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONI beg to ask the noble Viscount the Secretary of State for India a Question of which I have given him private Notice—namely, Whether there is any truth in the rumour, which appeared in one of the morning papers, to the effect that negotiations with Yakoob Khan have fallen through, and that Her Majesty's troops have been ordered to advance upon the City of Cabul?
§ VISCOUNT CRANBROOKI can only say that I have no intelligence of that description, and have no reason to believe it to be correct. It is not in the least in accordance with the latest information which we have received with respect to these affairs. We have heard nothing to-day at the India Office about it.
§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYdesired to remind the noble Viscount that a few nights ago, when asked a Question in regard to a Proclamation of General Roberts, he answered that there was no information on the subject; but the Proclamation was shortly after laid before the House.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBROOKThe noble Lord is quite mistaken as to what I said on a former occasion. I said that we had received no official communication on the subject; but General Roberts's Proclamation, when it came home, was at once laid on the Table of the House.